Shoes



May 26, 1959 L. L. TAICHER f 2,887,795

` SHOES Filed Dec. 19, 195e FIG. 2

INVENTOR y zgwfgww ATTORNEYS .United States Patent O SHOES Leonard LouisTaicher, Miami, Fla., assignor to Pan Almerican Modes, Inc., Miami,Fla., a corporation of orida Application December 19, 1956, Serial No.629,307 1 Claim. (Cl. Sti-58.5)

My invention relates to improvements in shoes-and has particularreference to womens shoes, although not limited thereto.

Briey and generally stated, the invention lhas for its primary objects:(1) to provide means whereby a plurality of novel ornamental effects maybe produced at the vamp areas of a pair of shoes so that the latter canbe effectively worn with a considerable number of different costumes;and (2) to avail of novel means for reinforcing the forward open toppedvamp area of such as womens pumps so as to contribute to preservation ofthe original shape or form of the shoe at its forward Portion.y l

l More specifically stated, it is an object of theinvention to provide,in a shoe such as a woman's pump, which has an open topped vamp areaportion extending to the toe region, a reinforcing liner for the wallsof said area, and which liner aside from carrying connecting means foropposed top wall portions, also provides a combined backing andretaining means for novel vamp area ornament-securing fasteners.

Additionally, the invention contemplates a shoe having readilyremovable, ornamental and selectively useable vamp area aps or the like,each of which has different appearance elfects on opposite sidesthereof, there being novel ornamental securing means for said llaps.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be understoodand appreciated by critical shoe purchasers, and particularly thosedesiring to have a pair of shoes which will effectively serve for avariety of costumes and occasions.

Referring to the drawing wherein the same reference characters have beenused to designate the same parts wherever they appear throughout theseveral views- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a womans pumpillustrating the application of my invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a partly broken, fragmentary top plan view of the vamp area ofthe shoe shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of the ornamental and detachable vamp areaap and showing, respectively, opposite faces of the latter;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the left hand end of theFig. 5 disclosure.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, numeral 10 indicatesgenerally a womans pump type shoe having the'heel 11, outer sole 12 andupper 13. As is characteristic of the type of shoe illustrated, the topvamp area provides the opening 14 which extends forwardly to a pointadjacent the toe 15 of the shoe, the said opening being bounded by vamparea wall portions 13a as indicated. As indicated, the upper 13 has itsfree edges provided with a continuous beading 16 which also extendsabout the edges of the vamp area provided opening 14.

In a shoe of the type illustrated there is a tendency for the vamp areaportion of the upper to get out of shape.

2,887,795A 4 Patented May 2,6, 1959 Therefore, in carrying out theinvention, I provide the "ice upper 13 with an underlying reinforcingliner 18 at they site of the forward vamp area portion 13a; and further.I provide the ornamental strip means 17 which extend across the opening14 and are connected to the opposite vamp area wall portions 13a asshown. The vamp arealiner 18 underlies the usual inner sole 19 asindicated,

'and in the region of the inner sole 19 the liner may be adhesively orotherwise secured to the portion of thev upper 13 which overlies theouter sole 12. The upper` l as at 20 to the liner 18 at points which aresubstantially of the liner 18 to the upper but also secures the beading116 about the raw edge of the upper 13, 13a. From the foregoing it willbe understood that the liner 18 in conjunction with the cross strip orcross strips 17 will very effectively reinforce the forward vamp portionof the upper 13 to prevent same from getting out of shape as the resultof extended use. Also the cross strips 17 give the pump an ornamentalappearance without detracting from the tailored shell-like appearancethat it presents without said cross strips.

The appearance of the vamp area of the pump is further ornamented by theheaded studs 23 which are projected through the apertures 22 in theforward vamp area wall portions 13a at opposite sides of the opening 14as illustrated. These studs 23 have base portions 24 from which projectthe Shanks 25 carrying the ornamental exterior heads 26. The stud bases24 are backed by the liner 18 and preferably also by end portions of thestrips 17 as indicated. Thus, the stud bases 24 will not be compressedagainst the foot of the wearer.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that I have provided a shoewith novel vamp area reinforcement and which Will present a highlyattractive appearance. However, to further ornament the vamp area of thepump, I provide selectively useable vamparea cross aps or the like 27which are apertured as at 28 to receive the shank portions 25 of thestuds 23 which secure said flap portions in place. The flap portions mayand preferably will have opposite faces providing different ornamentalappearances and a plurality of selectively useable vamp flaps 27 may beprovided in different colors to match different costumes so that onepair of shoes can be eifectively worn with a wide variety of differentcostumes. The openings 28 in the ornamental vamp aps 27 will haveyielding walls so that when the flaps are in place. the ornamental heads26 of the studs 23 will effectively retain the aps 27 in place. It isimportant to note that when the users foot is inserted in the shoe,opposite side edges of vamp opening 14 are caused to rise slightly awayfrom sole 12 and with an accompanying tendency to spread laterally inopposite directions. This lateral edge movement applies a load on thecross strips 17 and the stitching 21 which secures the liner 18 to theportions 13a of the upper 13.

Furthermore, the aforementioned rising and opposite lateral movement ofthe side edges of opening 14 forces the lateral margins of the ap 27outwardly away from portions 13a of the upper so that they lie adjacentthe headed ends 26 of the study Shanks 25, as indicated in Figs. 5 and6, so as to produce an attractive free ended' appearance;

Aside from being in different colors or beingl formed from dilerentlyappearing materials, the removablevamp aps 27 may have, for instance,one side provided with a polished surface whiler the other side may beprovided with a suede surface.

From the foregoing it is believed that the invention` will be readilyunderstood and appreciated, it being apparent that I provide a singlepair of shoes which will serve the purpose of a plurality of pairs andiwillV particularly accommodate the traveler who does not have luggagespace for a number of pairs of shoes.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim is:

In a shoe having a sole and an uppersecured thereto, the upper providinga top opening in its vamp area extending to the toe region, oppositesides of the upper adjacent the forward end of said opening7 havingportions curving inwardly to deline opening-bordering top wall portions,a contiguous reinforcing liner for the forward vamp area of said upperand cooperating in the formation of said top opening, a rstopening-spanning and forward vamp area shape-preserving means locatedrearwardly of the forward end of said opening, means securing oppositeends of said opening-spanning means to the upper face of said liner inremotely spaced relationship outwardly of the opening-adjacent edgesthereof` and in underlying relationship to parts of the top wallportions gesmaaof said upper, a row of stitching adjacent the edge ofsaid opening and securing said liner and rst opening-spanning means tosaid top wall portions, opposite inwardly curved side wall portions ofthe upper adjacent the ends of said rst opening-spanning means havingapertures extending therethrough, studs providing elongated and outerend headed Shanks extending through said respective apertures, each studbeing provided with a wide at base which is backed and sustained bysubjacent portions of said rst opening-spanning-means and liner, wherebythe stud' shanks are outwardly inclined away from said opening, a secondand detachable ornamental opening-spanning vamp area shape-preservingmeans positionable over the rst opening-spanning means and havingapertures inwardly of opposite ends through which the headed stud shanksextend, and underlying parts of said openingbordering top wall portionsengaging the second openingspanning means inwardly of its stud-receivingapertures whereby to cause the stud-adjacent portions of said secondopening-spanning means to ride outwardly on the,

studv Shanks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS895,522 Weil Aug. 11, 1908 1,756,505 Ballou Apr. 29, 1930y FOREIGNPATENTS 4,687 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1909 460,972 Germany June 9, 19281,127,084 France Aug. 6, 1956

